Align Family Law is a British Columbia family law firm known for guiding families through separation, divorce, and restructuring with clarity, professionalism, and care. The firm’s recognitions reflect the trust it has earned within the legal community and the confidence clients place in its ability to handle deeply personal matters with skill and integrity.
Recognitions and Awards
Recognitions and Awards
Align Family Law
Align Family Law’s recognitions reflect its standing within the legal community, its professional credentials, and independent third-party assessment of service standards. Together, these distinctions demonstrate the firm’s commitment to ethical family law practice and to serving clients with care, professionalism, and integrity.
Firm Recognitions
Quality Business Awards Canada
Professional Memberships and Credentials
Professional credentials are a foundation of trust in family law. They ensure that clients are supported by lawyers who are accountable, informed, and committed to ethical practice.
Lawyer Awards and Professional Recognition
Joanne Martin
Founder and Managing Director, Align Family Law
Joanne Martin founded Align Family Law to provide family law services that combine legal precision with empathy and respect. She leads the firm with a clear focus on collaborative problem solving, mediation, and helping families move forward with confidence during periods of significant change.
Awards and Academic Recognition
Fasken Entrance Scholarship
Joanne Martin received the Fasken Entrance Scholarship during her Juris Doctor studies at the Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia. This scholarship reflects strong academic performance and the ability to engage deeply with complex legal analysis.
That foundation continues to shape her work in family law, where clients rely on clear explanations and sound judgment when making life-changing decisions.
President’s Scholar, Royal Roads University
Joanne was named a President’s Scholar in recognition of sustained academic excellence. This distinction reflects discipline, consistency, and a commitment to high standards, qualities that define her leadership at Align Family Law.
Founder’s Award, Royal Roads University
She also received the Founder’s Award, recognizing academic achievement and leadership. This award reflects Joanne’s long-standing commitment to responsibility, integrity, and thoughtful decision-making.
Professional Leadership and Focus
Joanne Martin is an Accredited Family Law Mediator and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia, the Canadian Bar Association, and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. Her practice centres on collaborative family law, mediation, parenting arrangements, and financial resolution, always with an emphasis on reducing conflict and supporting informed outcomes.
Ariane Brunet
Family Lawyer & Mediator
Ariane Brunet is a family lawyer and mediator at Align Family Law, bringing a broad legal perspective and a measured, analytical approach to family law matters. She is an accredited family law mediator with formal training and experience in dispute resolution.
Ariane holds a Master of Laws in Dispute Resolution from the University of York. This advanced education supports her work in mediation and negotiated family law processes, where structured analysis, clear communication, and thoughtful problem-solving are essential.
Professional Recognition and Legal Background
Ariane’s legal training includes both civil law and common law education, and she has been called to practise law in Alberta and British Columbia. This background strengthens her ability to manage complex legal issues and procedural requirements with confidence and precision.
Her work focuses on guiding clients through separation and family restructuring with clear legal analysis and practical planning. Ariane is known for her careful attention to detail and her ability to help clients navigate emotionally charged situations with structure and calm.
Professional Leadership and Focus
Ariane Brunet is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia and the Canadian Bar Association, and holds a Master of Law in Dispute Resolution from the University of York. Her practice has focused exclusively on family law since 2016, with a resolution-centred approach that prioritizes practical, out-of-court solutions tailored to each family’s unique needs. With French as her first language, Ariane serves clients in both English and French, ensuring clear and comfortable communication throughout what are often the most sensitive conversations of a person’s life.
Kristy Montan
Family Lawyer
Kristy Montan is a family lawyer at Align Family Law whose work is supported by strong academic achievement and a disciplined, client centred approach.
Academic Recognition
Dean’s List, Capilano University
Kristy earned placement on the Dean’s List in recognition of high academic achievement. This distinction reflects consistency, focus, and a strong work ethic.
Merit List, Capilano University
She was also named to the Merit List, highlighting sustained academic excellence. This recognition supports her ability to manage complex legal information and deliver organized, clear guidance to clients.
Professional Focus
Kristy’s academic background informs her family law practice, where organization, responsiveness, and clarity are essential. She focuses on providing clients with structured support and clear direction throughout the legal process.
Geneva Houlden
Family Lawyer
Geneva Houlden is a family lawyer at Align Family Law whose background reflects academic strength and focused advocacy training.
Awards and Academic Recognition
Dean’s List, University of Saskatchewan
Placement on the Dean’s List reflects consistent academic excellence and strong analytical ability, both critical in family law matters that require careful preparation and judgment.
Professional Focus
Geneva applies her advocacy training to family law matters with a focus on preparation, clarity, and respectful representation. Her work emphasizes thoughtful legal strategy and client centred communication.
Alex Parkinson
Family Lawyer
Alex Parkinson is a family lawyer at Align Family Law whose practice is grounded in strong academic preparation and professional discipline.
Academic Recognition
Jack T. Edwards Memorial Award, University of British Columbia – Peter A. Allard School of Law
Alex received the Jack T. Edwards Memorial Award for dedication to a clinical program at the Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia. This recognition highlights his commitment to hands-on legal work and service during his time in law school.
His clinical training reflects the same dedication he brings to family law practice — working closely with clients through complex and often emotionally sensitive matters with care and thoroughness.
Dean’s List, University of the Fraser Valley
Alex was named to the Dean’s List at the University of the Fraser Valley, recognizing his academic dedication in the years before law school. This foundation of discipline and rigorous thinking carries through to his legal practice, where he approaches each family law matter with a deep commitment to achieving the best possible outcome for his clients.
Professional Focus
Alex focuses on supporting clients through family law matters with responsiveness and clear communication. His approach emphasizes steady guidance and careful handling of legal process during times of transition.
Graham Petek
Family Lawyer
Graham Petek is a family lawyer at Align Family Law known for making clients feel at ease when discussing difficult topics and for explaining complex legal issues in plain, straightforward terms. He believes clients are best served when they feel informed, respected, and supported — a standard he has held himself to throughout his career.
Academic Recognition
Dean’s List, University of the Fraser Valley
Graham was named to the Dean’s List at the University of the Fraser Valley, recognizing exceptional academic performance. This distinction reflects the discipline and analytical rigour that he brings to family law matters, where careful preparation and sound judgment make a meaningful difference for clients navigating significant life transitions.
Graduated with Distinction, University of the Fraser Valley
Graham graduated with distinction from the University of the Fraser Valley, a recognition that reflects sustained high academic achievement throughout his undergraduate studies. Maintaining a high grade point average across an entire academic career speaks to consistency, dedication, and a commitment to doing the work well — qualities that carry directly into his legal practice.
Professional Focus
Graham’s academic record informs his approach to family law, where clarity, organization, and careful attention to detail are essential. He is focused on supporting his clients with steady guidance and clear communication.
Commitment to Clients and Families
Align Family Law remains focused on what matters most. Helping families move through change with dignity, clarity, and confidence.
Align Family Law is built around the understanding that family law is never just legal work. It involves people facing uncertainty, change, and decisions that affect their children, finances, and future stability. The firm approaches every matter with care, patience, and clear guidance, helping clients understand their options and move forward with confidence.
The recognitions earned by Align Family Law reflect more than professional credentials or community reputation. They reflect the trust clients place in the firm to handle sensitive family matters with discretion, respect, and sound judgment. Through collaborative practice, mediation, and thoughtful advocacy, Align Family Law remains committed to supporting families during some of the most personal and challenging moments of their lives.
Contact Us
If you would like to speak with Align Family Law or learn more about the firm’s approach to family law, the team welcomes you to get in touch.
Align Family Law serves clients throughout British Columbia with a focus on collaborative family law, mediation, and respectful dispute resolution. Where negotiated resolution is not appropriate or achievable, the firm’s lawyers are equipped to represent clients through litigation and formal legal proceedings.
The firm’s approach is grounded in selecting the legal process that best fits each family’s circumstances, with careful consideration of efficiency, long-term outcomes, and the well-being of children and families.
Are you looking for a family lawyer?
We have offices in Victoria and Kimberley, and can assist clients anywhere in British Columbia.
Fill out our form and an Align Family Law team member will contact you within one business day to schedule your Zoom call with a British Columbia family law lawyer.
